Will wearing a hat all day, (approx. 11 hours) every other day create thinning of the hair? Always have been curious. I wear hats…at least 3-4 times a week, all day. Wondering if the tight cap is bad for the head? Hmmmm. Thanks so much!
You do a fabulous job!
We have answered this many times and it is outlined as well as one of the many myths in our Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies book.
The answer is NO. A hat doesn’t cause hair loss.
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Hi.. 5 years back a lady left the relaxer too long so I had a bad burn and ever since hair started to get thinner & thinner. I ended up with a bald area on top of my head. its pretty big in size. around 2 inches wide & 1.5 inches deep. Do you think my hair would never grow again in that area? are there any products that you suggest I use to help me fix this mess?
Its very unlikely that you would see hair growing back again at this stage. It sounds like the chemical treatment may have caused scarring to that area of the scalp or burned the hair follicles resulting in permanent hair loss. This could be confirmed with a scalp biopsy.
On the assumption that you have a good supply of donor hair at the back and sides, hair transplant surgery could restore hair to a reasonable result. Another option is a reduction or excision of the hairless scarred area. This excision might be likely to need scalp expansion in your case if the area is very large.
Without further information, I cannot recommend any products that would restore significant hair in your case. However, you can try temporary camouflage type products like Toppik that can disguise the loss when the need arises. The picture on the right shows a badly damaged hair with the fibrils inside the hair shaft broken out like the spindles inside electric wires.
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Hello. I’ve had trichotillomania for about 6 years now. I’ve pulled non-stop because it is REALLY hard to quit, but I haven’t pulled any hair out in a week now. I have a large bald spot on the top of my skull and there are several others scattered elsewhere. I am seventeen years-old. I can’t even go to the hair dresser’s to get my hair done because I’m so ashamed and I always worry someone might say something. I’ve adopted the name ‘bald spots’. I was wondering if my hair was going to grow back if I let it and if not, if there were any options available for me. Thank you.
If the hair loss has been there for around 6 years, I doubt that the hair will come back. First, you must get control of the pulling (not just for a week) and you may seek help from your doctor for medications that will help you through this. Once you have gone a year or more with no further hair plucking, then you might consider hair transplantation, assuming that your donor supply is adequate. But if you should start pulling again, then any transplanted hair can be lost by the exact same mechanism.
There’s a great reference site you should visit to read more — Trichotillomania Learning Center.
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Can a 20 month old child have Alopecia?
This is unlikely. Most children without much hair are just delayed growing their hair. Assuming the the hair is patchy, one would look to your pediatrician for the diagnosis of ringworm, alopecia areata (rare). Complete absence of hair on the head and eyebrows could reflect other types of alopecias, but I do not want to write a book on the subject without knowing more about what your concerns are.
Hello Dr,
Thanks for providing all the information you are providing to hair loss sufferers. I have a question. I had a Transplant a 7 weeks ago(Strip method) on my crown area. I was on (and still on) Finasteride prior to my Transplant. Lately I lost my native hair and I am seeing that I have less hair on my top now compared to hair that I had before the transplant. I learnt that this is because of the shock loss. But I was on finasteride before the HT. So, do you think this is temporary and can expect m native hair back. If so how much time does it take?
I try to educate my patients and readers everyday… and this must be one of the top ten things I want the public to understand.
Taking Propecia (finasteride) does not protect you 100% from experiencing shock loss — it only lowers the risk. If you have shock loss, there’s not much you can do (actually, nothing you can do)… and if it is in miniaturized hairs, it may very well be permanent! Statistics do not matter to those who have shock loss even while on Propecia. This is one of the risks of a hair transplant and you must always balance the benefits of surgery with the risks of surgery.
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Snippet from the article:
Experts have called for more understanding of the psychological problems faced by men and women affected by hair loss.
A report commissioned by hair loss supplement company Viscera found that almost a third of people in the UK suffered from hair loss or had experienced it in the past.
While the majority of people were affected by male pattern baldness or hair thinning, around 2% of people suffered from alopecia.
Many of those with hair loss reported no emotional problems, but a “significant minority” of people were found to be at risk of serious psychosocial consequences, including depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem and identity change, according to the report’s author, health psychologist Dr Nigel Hunt.
Read the rest of the article — More support urged over hair loss
Some people take it in stride, and others are genuinely distraught about losing their hair. There’s no right or wrong way to be when you are watching yourself get balder and balder. Emotions can run wild when your self-esteem is feeling low… and that is why I always keep a box of tissue in my office.
I was the victim of a gang beating last week and during the struggle a fist full of hair was ripped from the top of my head! I have thin but very long hair and I’m 30 years old with no history of family baldness but the patch ripped off me is quite bald and very damaged shorter hairs surround the area as well,will my hair regrow on its own? and is there anything that I can do to help the process along any faster? any advice please!!!
Trauma such as what you describe is unfortunate. Most of the hair should grow back, but it will take time (possibly up to a year), though much of the regrowth should occur in the first 6 months. Unfortunately, there is no process to speed this along.
I’ve read that Asian hair has less hair loss daily than Caucasians. Is this true and if so how much is lost daily? I’m a 22-year-old Asian adoptee and I’ve always lost high amounts of hair daily for as long as I can remember, sometimes up to a 100-150 on some days. Is this an indication that I’m going bald?
Asians do have less hair than Caucasians, but in general people lose about 100 hairs a day. You are in the normal range. As an Asian, you probably have 80% of the hairs on your head as a Caucasian, so you might draw the conclusion that you would lose 20% less hair each day. If you are worried, the key is to get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and determine if you are in the early stages of genetic male hair loss.
Hey Doc,
Firstly, what an amazing job you guys do with this whole set up: Dr Rassman your blog has provided so much insight for those of us scared about hair loss.I’m a 22 year old male student. To combat my hair loss problem, last year I used Minox 5% (Rogaine) for about 1month, but due to the subsequent irritation it caused, I ceased use.
The area that I applied this to is now dead, straw like hair, and so much thinner than other parts of my hair. I have read about minoxidil dependant hair, do you think this could be the case for such a short application period? A trichologist I consulted over here, dismissed that as being unlikely, as 1month was too short a time frame. He emphasised to me that stopping minox would return hair to the ‘base level’.
The thing is, my hair loss has accelerated greatly in the past 10months: I touch my hair and it falls out. My scalp is clearly visible on top. What cuts me up inside, is that I think I brought this upon myself by trying minoxidil.
Do you think propecia would be of any use in this situation, if stopping minoxidil has damaged my hair? – I understand that the mechanisms are different. I am merely speculating as to why I’m losing hair so much, so quickly, but I am keen to give finasteride a go. Any feedback would be greatly welcomed.
Kind Regards
You are describing what might be genetic hair loss as well as some side effects from the minoxidil on your hair texture. I doubt your current hair loss has anything to do with minoxidil use and any new hair that grows out from the scalp should be as it was before the minoxidil use. Here’s your scenario as I see it — You started using minoxidil because you were losing hair… minoxidil caused irritation and hair texture issues, so you stopped using it… then your hair loss continued, because hair loss is progressive. I don’t think it’s clear that minoxidil accelerated the loss, though.
At 22 years old with early balding, Propecia is a good idea to help slow the loss down (if it is genetic hair loss), but you will likely not see results unless you take it daily for at least 9 to 12 months. It’s a prescription drug, so talk to your doctor if you’re interested in that. You should also have a good doctor examine your hair and perform a miniaturization mapping so that you can see the progressive nature of your loss over time.
Hello,
For the past two weeks or so I have noticed that my hair is falling out a lot more than usual. I recently started using a new acne face wash (it is not prescription) that is very strong. I also am taking Wellbutrin for depression, but I have been on it for a few months already. Also, I had a hairloss phase in the past that I thought was related to high blood sugar and unhealthy eating habits, but I recently have lost 30 lbs. I do not know which of these factors, if any, is causing this hair loss. What do you think?Thank you
There is no way to separate the various causes for hair loss and blame the one or a combination of them. Weight loss on its own shouldn’t cause hair loss if it’s done in a healthy way, but I don’t have enough info on how fast you lost weight or in what way you did so. Extreme dieting can cause hair loss, though.
Also, Wellbutrin and other antidepressants are known to cause hair loss in some people. A full list of side effects can be found here (it’s listed on that page as alopecia). Stress can also be a cause of hair loss, and dieting and depression will likely involve stress in some form. There’s just too much going on for me to be able to pinpoint a cause of your hair loss. Sorry.
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